25 April 2012

Formspring question:

Do you think taking self-portraits requires a lot of confidence?I recently got intrested in taking them, but I really lack the courage to just step out in front of the camera. Or would you consider yourself brave for taking all your selfies?

I honestly don't have that much confidence (at least not all the time), so no, it doesn't require confidence. I think it's more trust or belief, in that it's okay to show yourself and your feelings. I sometimes get the compliment that I'm brave for taking (and showing) self portraits because they're so personal and show a lot of myself (emotionally), also (and often) in vulnerable state. I don't often think about it like that because this is the way I express myself and I would probably burst if I didn't do it. Just try it, with enough practice you'll get more comfortable. You can start small, maybe not showing your face at first, or just showing a body part you're comfortable with. And of course, you can keep the results to yourself and just start as small as you like until you feel more comfortable. I realize now I never really had this problem, because I started photography almost solely because of Lara Jade's, Victoria Sims' and some other girls I don't know their names of, selfportraits, because I really wanted to express myself the way they did.